Rested and revved, Powell 'hungry' to give Redblacks a boost against Ticats

The Ottawa Redblacks' William Powell runs with the ball during practice at TD Place on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018. Tony CaldwellTony Caldwell / Postmedia

Little-known fact: With William Powell in the lineup, the Redblacks have never lost to the Ticats.

They are 7-0 against Hamilton when Powell has been their running back over the past four years (or three seasons, because he missed all of 2016 with an Achilles injury).

And in the Eastern Division final on Sunday at TD Place, lined up behind quarterback Trevor Harris will be a Powell that is healthy, rested, motivated and coming off his best campaign.

Oh, and quite possibly a little pissed off.

After improving to 9-7 but not yet locking up first place, the Redblacks decided to give Powell a breather. Not just for a game, but the final two.

That cost Powell the CFL rushing title — with 1,362 yards, he finished only behind the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Andrew Harris, who ran for 1,390 while playing all 18 games — and a chance to break Reggie Barnes’ 27-year-old record for most rushing yards (1,486) by an Ottawa pro football player.

It probably even cost Powell some bonus money, but it’s unlikely that would have been the team’s motive for having him take a seat.

“I wanted to get him a rest,” head coach Rick Campbell said Wednesday. “He played every single game, going up through Week 16. William is a pretty special guy when he’s rested and ready to go. So we’re hoping that the rest did him well and he’s got a full tank of gas.”

Could Powell have played the last two?

“He would tell you that, yeah,” Campbell said. “He’s a workhorse. If we played 50 games in a season, he’d want to play in all 50. Just trying to make sure he’s as ready as possible for a big playoff game.”

In 2017, Powell was also the runner-up to Harris in the league rushing race, but only because of injuries. He finished nine yards (1,026-1035) behind him while playing six fewer games.

At first, Powell chuckled (and fumbled a bit with his words) when asked about the disappointment of not claiming the crown this season.

“It won’t be that disappointing, as long as we get these wins right here,” he said. “I definitely wanted to go for it, but we’ve got bigger things in mind. We’re going for the main goal, the team goal.”

But obviously, he wanted to be the CFL’s top rusher. That was his personal goal.

“For sure,” Powell said. “Winnipeg, they made sure they went to go get it. We’re more focused on winning the title. They decided to let me get rest and come back even stronger, so I can put a pounding on everybody in the playoffs.”

Asked if he was on board with Campbell’s decision, Powell laughed.

“No, I definitely wasn’t on board,” he said. “But I have a lot of respect for coach Campbell, and whatever decision he makes, I know he’s looking out for the better of the team.”

Powell does see the potential benefits.

“Any time you can take a rest and come back with fresh legs, while everybody else is taking a toll on their bodies going week to week and playing each and every game, it will definitely give you the upper hand,” he said. “Any time you get rest, it’s a good thing.”

Wednesday’s two-hour practice was in frigid conditions — it was minus-15C with the wind chill — but things are supposed to warm up for Sunday.

Powell is good either way.

“It’s real cold outside, but it’s good for us to experience this and get prepared for anything, just in case it might be like this for game day,” he said. “It’s good to get out there and get the blood flowing and embrace the cold weather.”

And while it’s supposed to be sunny on game day, snow wouldn’t be so horrible. Especially for a running back.

“I think it would be an advantage,” Powell said. “With me, making the cuts and them not knowing where I’m going to be going. And me knowing where I’m going to be going. As I make a cut they’ll be trying to react to me. It causes more slippage on their part.

“You might have to tweak the game a little bit, but for me, it’s just instinct and reactionary. I’ll be able to adapt to any weather.”

That, he has proven. Powell, who grew up in Texas, has played five CFL games in November. In last year’s Eastern semifinal, the ball was in his hands just 13 times, and he had 77 combined rushing and receiving yards. In the 2015 Grey Cup game, he had 17 touches and 123 combined yards.

And in three November games in 2015, Powell rushed for 266 yards and three touchdowns.

“I just feel like as the season goes on, as the game goes on in the fourth quarter, in the latter part of the year, I feel I get stronger and better,” he said. “In crunch time and in pressure situations, I feel I thrive. I look forward to those situations.”

Watching his teammates win the 2016 Grey Cup while he could only watch from the injured list as added to Powell’s motivation.

“I’m very hungry to get back out there and continue to show what I can do,” he said. “And continue to try to get that Cup.”

Powell laughed again when asked if he was concerned about such a long layoff. On Sunday, it will be one day shy of a full month since his last game.

“No, no definitely no rust factor,” Powell said. “It’s just second nature at this point.”

SKINNING THE TICATS

Along with a perfect string of team success, Redblacks running back William Powell has put up some pretty hefty numbers against the Hamilton Ticats.

Over seven outings, they’ve held him to under 75 combined yards just once. He has 110 carries for 566 yards (5.2 average) and 11 catches for 120 yards (10.9 yard average).

The following is a breakdown of Powell’s career versus the Ticats — including the Eastern final in 2015.

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